How long did it take you to “get warm” with your new Warmoth?

[Cagey]

It depends who you talk to. The hard-core vintage types will say it wrecks them, but that's just those people being who they are. Some people have taken to calling them "tone chambers" in an effort to glorify what they are, as "swimming pool route" sounds sorta jerry-rigged. Plus, it's a common feature of Pacific Rim guitar bodies as they don't often know what pickups they're going to install on a given body style, and as we all know, if the orientals do it, it must be crap. But, it's just a universal route. Does nothing to the tone and allows you to install whatever pickups you'd like.

 

[swarfrat]

That was a facetious example - not referring to the actual route itself, but rather a fictitious oddball pickup the size of the entire route.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I've got a swimming pool rout Strat, it's a 1994 AmStd. Fantastic guitar - in fact, for years and years, my only guitar. Glad it has that rout too, as it's had its fair share of pickup configurations. Even had a battery cavity routed into it once, which has since been filled.

It's just back to SSS now, with the standard wiring and a Duncan SSL-5 in the bridge.

Anyway, yeah. Buying weird stuff. I'm a bit worried about trying some of the asymmetrical neck profiles, and stuff like that. I don't want to have to buy stuff twice.

 

[Strat Avenger]

The "swimming pool" universal rout has absolutely NO affect on tone whatsoever.
That is one of the myths that Ed Roman used to perpetuate.

 

[reluctant-builder]

Anyway, yeah. Buying weird stuff. I'm a bit worried about trying some of the asymmetrical neck profiles, and stuff like that. I don't want to have to buy stuff twice.

I'm with you.

I feel a bit like an ass for getting my Birdseye/birdseye replacement neck for my Strat, paying what it cost to finish it, knowing I could have gotten a raw neck for the same, or even less ... but I wanted to keep the general feeling of the original instrument, which had a maple/maple neck/fingerboard.

The asymmetric profiles worry me ... even getting a boatneck or a fatback worries me ... because I've only ever played the "standard" contour, and I'd hate to buy a different style of neck profile only to hate it. There aren't many -- if any -- lefties that I've found, with "exotic" profiles, that I could play for a while to really get a feel. Right handed guitars upside down only afford me so much noodling ability.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

It's weird really. I'd be happy ordering a 59 contour because I have a Les Paul with a 50s neck and it's nice. But boatneck or fatback? I dunno, I'm a bit worried. I'll probably go with the one (I can't remember which) that says it's the same as a 52 tele first. I definitely do want to have a thick neck on my next tele build.

 

[animal control]

The asymmetric profiles worry me ... even getting a boatneck or a fatback worries me ... because I've only ever played the "standard" contour, and I'd hate to buy a different style of neck profile only to hate it. There aren't many -- if any -- lefties that I've found, with "exotic" profiles, that I could play for a while to really get a feel. Right handed guitars upside down only afford me so much noodling ability.

That's a legit concern. My first W was a fatback and I never was able to get comfortable with it, even though I have large hands. I wound up replacing the neck.

Definitely play one like it before you order it.

 

[DustyCat]

The first time I bought guitar parts from Warmoth, I did not push the envelope very far in terms of personal customization with my most radical choice being *gasp!* a slightly wider nut width 1 + 11/16"  :icon_thumright: (Can he DO that? Lol). In fact, most of the decisions were made weighing heavily upon the council of The Warmoth Sales Representative.  :icon_scratch: In retrospect fret size was the biggest gamble for this customer at the time.

It would be not less than 5 years before I would purchase again, this time, exercising my own personal judgement  in making bolder choices, and deviating farther from the middle of the road options common to the pre-packaged 'value' guitars you see hanging on the wall by the dozens at your local big name music instrument store. Now I would like to replace my first neck with options much more akin to the second: 1 + 11/16" nut width,  :evil4: 6100's, Full Scallop, maybe even with an SRV contour to once again push the envelope of my Wolfgang back contour equipped second neck. Perhaps in the future I will find the slimmer Wolfgang back contour to be more comfortable in comparison, perhaps not.

Long story short, One might fare better off initially by starting with something familiar, but branching out into the unexplored sea of available options, however unfamiliar the territory, may or may not yield  its own rewards, perhaps previously unimagined by the player.  :guitaristgif:

 

[DustyCat]

Actually...what I'd really, Really, REALLY like to try is a fanned fretboard!...Fully Scalloped, Fanned Fretboard with 6100's  :toothy10:

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Just finished a tele and I'm instantly warm with it. It does have the neck from a guitar I've had 10 years on it though, so perhaps not a great example.

My yellow Strat has nut problems. I think it needs a pretty chunky shim under it on the treble side (it's a Floyd locking nut). So, although that one is fun to play, and makes some incredible sounds, I haven't clicked with it yet.

 

[stubhead]

I think that early on, trying out as many different guitars as possible, each one for a while, matters a lot. We used to "trade" guitars with bandmates for a while, or at least leave various guitars lying around various places, often under the pretext of trying it out... it seems there are less people playing with each other these days, but a fairly liberal return policy among retailers makes up for it, if you don't mind the shipping. Once you've had serious relations with a half-dozen very different guitars, you'll have a much better idea of what suits you, as does paying attention to what people who play music that you like too. But still - I'd rather have guitars as unlike one another as possible, within limits - just to keep my interest kicking along. I do like boltnecks, not for some refined judgement about "vibrational transfer" but because YOU CAN CHANGE THE NECK.

You can be quite sure that even if you think "Les Pauls suck", "Telecasters suck", "Strats suck" - there is such abundant evidence out there proving you're an idiot, you'd be best to confine your sentiments to like-minded boards... looking at the huge variety of things that have been used to make great music upon - even cheap things, made by manufacturers who were looking to TURN A PROFIT (!) - Gasp! - it would seem as though talent, sincerity, and being in the right place at the right time with the right lick has a lot to do with it too. As far as spending money goes, it's just a question of what matters to you. I tend to "invent" things that end up taking on a life (and budget) of their own but then, I don't play GOLF, fer god's sakes - not only is it insane to blast the piss out of a little ball that you then have to chase after yourself (shouldn't somebody hit it BACK to you? :icon_scratch but then you have to go to SCOTLAND to do it right! Right.... so price out a round-trip to SCOTLAND, then buy a nice guitar. You won!  :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: (and wasn't it easy....)

Wanna talk about piddly equipment details for hours on end? Find a bow-hunter... ask just one little question.... a serious bikee... friggin' DARTS, even, nowadays.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dynasty-LIMITED-EDITION-1-OF-200-Larry-Butler-Eagle-Soft-Tip-Darts-95-Tungsten-/130698020731?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e6e35877b

gee when i was a kid darts had feathers and points and stuff....

 

[swarfrat]

Bah. I'm old fashioned. You don't really get to know a guitar until you've played it exclusively for a couple decades.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[bagman67]

Find a bow-hunter... ask just one little question.... a serious bikee... friggin' DARTS, even, nowadays.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dynasty-LIMITED-EDITION-1-OF-200-Larry-Butler-Eagle-Soft-Tip-Darts-95-Tungsten-/130698020731?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e6e35877b

gee when i was a kid darts had feathers and points and stuff....

I'm not sure how something made of 95% tungsten qualifies as "soft tipped."  That's not how wolfram works at my house.

 

[reluctant-builder]

Find a bow-hunter... ask just one little question.... a serious bikee... friggin' DARTS, even, nowadays.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dynasty-LIMITED-EDITION-1-OF-200-Larry-Butler-Eagle-Soft-Tip-Darts-95-Tungsten-/130698020731?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e6e35877b

gee when i was a kid darts had feathers and points and stuff....

I'm not sure how something made of 95% tungsten qualifies as "soft tipped."  That's not how wolfram works at my house.

But it's a LIMITED EDITION! Dynasty, no less. P.T. Barnum is calling.